Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back
by SonomaCurtis
Summary: A new Stomper is on the scene, but she is VERY different from MK. She has a number of untold demons and yet wants to be a leafman. How will Ronin deal with it? (Sorry the summary sucks) RoninxOC Implied RoninxTara NodXMK FinnXQueenMarigold
1. Chapter 1

Exhausted, she stumbled off the road and toward the forest. The calming summer breeze seemed to push her onward, and her sloppy footsteps obliged. She hadn't been this drunk in a while and it felt good to be numb. Going into the woods seemed like a good idea, especially if it meant getting away from the noisy road and her boyfriend. She had left him behind a few miles back in a motel, fast asleep. Funny, he slept best after they fought. Her hand tried to caress the bruise beginning to form on her cheekbone, but instead she gave herself a kind of soft slap. A small light startled her and she flinched, falling backward and landing hard on her butt.

"Mari!" Ronin called. He looked around desperately. How could he lose the queen? What would happen if she wasn't found. All these anxieties rushed through his panicking brain. Nod flew up beside the General.

"Ronin! We know where she is! She is out by Bramble's Wall. Finn's already on his way." Nod shouted. Ronin nodded and zipped ahead, a sense of relief growing as he neared the wall constructed hundreds of years ago to keep away Stompers. But as he came into sight of the wall, a great fear enveloped him. The queen was on the other side of the wall, and a Stomper was between her and safety. Just as Ronin registered the threat, Queen Marigold panicked. Her powers surged and she directed them at the Stomper. When the blinding light went off, the Stomper fell backwards, towards the wall of brambles. As she fell, she shrank drastically. Around her the forest shook with heavy winds.

Without thinking, Ronin flew forward, with the directive to catch the falling Stomper. Just as she was about to hit the sharp tines of the brambles, he scooped her up. Quickly he landed and Finn brought the queen to the General moments later. The young queen leapt off of Finn's bird and rushed to Ronin, who was strangely overtaken by the Stomper. He couldn't take his eyes off of the bruise on her cheek and the cut on her forehead. She hadn't hit anything on the fall down...

"Ronin! I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her!" Marigold chattered. Ronin looked up at her and his eyes narrowed.

"She's fine. Alive, anyway. But that's not why you're in trouble." He said shortly. Queen Marigold looked at her feet in embarrassment. Finn smirked. He personally loved seeing Ronin get cross, especially with the queen, since she could totally fire him. He allowed the queen to climb back on the saddle behind him, then took off, leading the patrol with Ronin and Nod close behind.

Her vision was coming back, blurry, but still there. And she could move. But she sat up too quickly and her head exploded with stars and lightning bolts. Immediately she curled up, her forehead against her thighs.

"She's in here?" A stong, Irish voice asked. Footsteps led up to her bedside and a being stood over her. "Are you alright?" The same voice asked her.

"Don't shout." She replied, slow and slurred slightly. She managed to uncurl herself and look up at him. He was an older man, his hair short and gray, but his physique strong and healthy. He seemed to be wearing an outfit of leaves. _Maybe I ended up with some hippies or something?_ She thought. "Where am I?"

"Moonhaven Hospital. I am General Ronin, military leader of the Leafmen. Who are you?" He stated and asked. He was so matter of fact, and spoke so quickly, it took her a moment to process what he said.

"Mmmy name is...um...Hazel." She slurred out. Ronin nodded. He looked her in the face and was glad to see her cut was well bandaged.

"You may be confused about this all, but let me give you the long and short of it." He sat down on a leaf chair beside the bed. He let his sword rest against the bed.

"Oh, please do." Hazel muttered.

"You've been shrunk. You see, we are an advanced society of beings that keep the balance of life and death in check. And you happened upon our queen while you were out last night. She shrunk you by accident. We, um, still haven't figured out how to get you big again. She refuses to try using her powers again, for fear she will cause further damage." He paused to let it all seep in. Hazel blinked at him, her eyes bloodshot. Ronin noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "I-I don't mean to be rude, but what were you doing last night? You don't look so well and you smell like rotted apples." He said. He hadn't meant to say the last part, but if he truly regretted it, he hid it very well.

"Oh, that." Hazel smiled sadly. She looked up at him and held up a hand. It was chaking violently. Curious, Ronin took her hand in his and felt the trembling. "I'm, uh, an alcoholic. I had a few drinks last night after I got this." She said and pointed to her cheek. Then she yawned and stretched, inadvertently jerking her hand from Ronin's grip. Suddenly her eyes grew wide. "Wait. Did you say I was SHRUNK?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Mari, why would you run off like that?" Nod asked, worry in his voice. He liked the new queen, she was like a little sister to him. So the fact that she had tried to run away worried him greatly. She looked down at her hands in embarrassment.

"I-I was talking to Ronin...about...something. And he yelled at me and told me my idea wasn't good. I don't know...running away seemed like a good idea at the time." Her eyes were cast down, and her green cheeks were flushed a darker green. Nod realized she really wasn't old enough to be a queen. Once she became queen she began to age faster, so that she could be at her peak for as long as possible. She had grown up physically, but she was still a teenager in her mind. Of course some of her choices would seem immature. Nod sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, Marigold. I'm sorry. How about we go see MK today?" He asked. Mari's face lit up, then darkened with disappointment.

"Finn and Ronin would never let me." She whispered. The two sat next to each other, just waiting for Ronin or Finn to come through the door to unground Queen Marigold.

"What do you mean, you don't have beer? Wine? Vodka?!" Hazel screeched, the dizziness in her head making her mad. She needed the alcohol to cool down her system, to put her back in her right mind. She NEEDED it. But Ronin just shook his head.

"I've never heard of any of those things..." He sighed, unsure how to help the Stomper visitor.

"How about some fermented apples...?" She pleaded now, done with anger. Maybe if she acted all sweet he'd give her some. What kind of man didn't have any alcohol? He had to have some...just HAD to... She placed the flat of her hand on his chest-plate. What would she have to do for it?

"Does this look like an apple orchard?" Ronin asked, getting frustrated. He pulled away from her touch and shook his head in confusion. "Look, Hazel. I think you need some sleep, then you'll feel better." He suggested. Hazel pulled back, now certain he didn't have what she needed. She nodded slowly...knowing exactly what was going to happen. The Shakes...

"A-Alright, I'll just...go to bed..." She nodded. "Don't bother waking me, 'kay? I'll just sleep it off..." She said, then turned and waited for Ronin to leave and close the door behind him. Once he did she slammed a chair up against the door and then the leaf-bed. That would keep them out...yeah... She looked down at her hands and saw the skin twitching on its own.

"I've never had the shakes this bad." Hazel muttered to herself. A wave of nausea flushed over her and she fell into a sitting position on her bed.

"At least you told Ronin not to visit." A voice whispered to her. Hazel spun around so fast she lost her footing and slipped off the edge of the bed.

"Who's there?" She whispered, looking around. Slowly an image of her boyfriend sitting indian style on the bed formed. His big blue eyes and thick dark hair. She crawled backwards until her back hit the wall. "You..." Her voice was thin and afraid.

"Now let's not fight, Haze. It's just you and me. You locked the door, remember." He drawled as he rose from the bed and walked over to her. "It's been too long since you had a drink, Haze. Three whole days..." He crooned as he bent down next to her. Suddenly, there was a beer in his hand and he uncapped it. He held it out to her as though she were to take it, but just when her hand reached the bottle, it was at his lips and he was draining it. Tears welled up behind her eyes.

"Buck...I-I need that." She murmured. Another wave of nausea hit her and she vomited. Vomited all over him. His eyes grew dark.

"Now you done it, Haze. Now you done it!" He said and punched her in the gut. The pain sent her head back and it cracked hard into the wall. "Oh Haze, look what you made me do. If you hadn't made a mess you wouldn't be hurtin'."

"B-but, Buck...I didn't mean to..." She groaned as the pain ebbed into a throb. Her eyes searched for Buck's for a moment, but darkness was closing in around them. Then a sharp pinch held her chin and forced her head to look straight up. And there was Buck, handsome and lethal as a cobra.

"But you did, darlin'. And not only that, but you left me. You left me all alone in that crummy motel. You can't imagine how angry I was to see you left." He drawled, his accent both drawing chills up her back and setting her blood cold. She screamed as he slapped her across the face and then picked her up and slammed her on the bed.

"No! No!" She cried and he just hit her again in the stomach. More vomit rose in her mouth but she swallowed it, afraid of Buck's anger.

"Hazel! Hazel, let me in! What's happening?!" A strong voice demanded through the door. Hazel tore her gaze from Buck to see the door flexing and splintering as something pounded against it from the other side. Buck chuckled.

"Looks like we're not alone anymore…but I don't mind…I'll put on a show." He snickered.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hazel!" Ronin roared as he shouldered the door. He had not gotten far from the hospital before he had heard the Dragonfly Jinn Nurse call for him. He had quickly walked back, certain it was no emergency. But when he had asked what was wrong, he was answered by a scream coming from Hazel's room. Immediately he had run to the door, and tried to push it open, only to find it jammed. He pushed at it until he was able to get it open enough that he could see Hazel on the leaf bed, which was jammed up against the door. Now he was slamming his shoulder into the door, determined to get in.

Finally he broke through, sending the bed sliding a little. Hazel rolled over on her side and clutched her belly. Her eyes were both blackened and a bruise was appearing on her cheek. Confusion swept of Ronin as he made his way over to her.

"What's happening?" He asked, trying to get Hazel to look at him. He made the mistake of grabbing her wrist. She immediately flung herself upward, pushing him out of the way, and ran to the far corner. She stood there, her eyes refocusing.

"Buck?" She asked, her voice quiet. Ronin held his hands up, confused and worried. Was she crazy? Would she hurt the queen? All sorts of fears rushed through his head. All he knew was that he needed to restrain her. He came up to her slowly, watching as her breathing slowed. She looked at him her eyes wide, but seeing nothing. Her hair was damp with sweat and her eyes flitted from side to side.

"It's just me, Ronin. Remember?" He asked slowly. He was close enough to touch her…. He reached out and his fingertips brushed her shoulder before she passed out. He caught her and carried her over to the bed and set about rearranging the furniture as it hat been. He had just put the chair down when he heard the movement. He turned around and saw Hazel's body twitching uncontrollably. He leaned over her, unsure what to do and watched her. After a few moments, the seizure ended and Ronin gently checked her pupils, calling upon his little battlefield medical experience. Whenever a Leafman fell or got hurt, Ronin rarely had anything to do with the process of healing other than regular visits. He did know to check the pupil's reaction to light to see if the brain was still functioning. Her pupils shrank slightly at the sudden light, a slight reassurance to the Leafman General.

"Nurse!" He called and the Jinn came in the room, hesitant. She looked around and gasped at the sight of Hazel on the bed.

"Oh! What happened?" She asked, rushing to her side. She checked Hazel's pulse before Ronin could respond. "Check her breathing." She said without looking up. Ronin thought for a moment how to do that and hesitantly put his ear against Hazel's chest. He heard the quick and panicked breathing and reported it. The Nurse nodded. "I think she's fighting off a poison of some kind." She finally answered. Ronin raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of poison…she couldn't have been poisoned while she was here…" He muttered. The Nurse shook her head.

"But she wouldn't have to have been poisoned here… If she had been I would recognize the symptoms. While they bear a common resemblance to nightshade, she would be dead by now…" She trailed off. Hazel was coming to, and the nurse stiffened. "If I am right, she's going to be beyond control, even her own. We need to have people who hare strong enough to keep her from hurting herself. "

"Beyond control?" Ronin asked, confused. The Jinn Nurse nodded.

"Yes, she must be having hallucinations…or something to that effect. That would be why she was screaming…she thought someone or something was in here with her." Her voice was nervous. "Like when a Leafman suffers from severe infection. " She explained, trying to make sense to the Leafman General. He nodded, understanding blooming in his head.

"Alright, send for Nod and Echon." He ordered, taking control of the situation. The Nurse nodded and flew out. Ronin looked back down at Hazel, her body moving while she dreamt. He touched her forehead and was worried to find a fever rising.


End file.
